Balanced steam engine



(No Model.) 7 I I J. ,J; HEILMANN.

BALANCED STEAM ENGINE.

No. 555,698. Patented'Mar; 3, 1896.

Iandd Jame fi nd;

V UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

- JEAN JACQUES HEILMANN, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

BALANCED STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 555,698, dated March Ap li ation fil d December 1, 189 1. Serial No. 530,599. (No model.) Patented in France August 14, 1894,1l0. 240,725, and in Belgium October so, 1894,1lo. 112,491.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEAN JACQUES HEIL- MANN, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at 19 Rue Carnbon, Paris, in the Department of the Seine, France, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Balanced Steam-Engine, (patented in France August 141, 1894:, No. 240,7 25, and in Belgium October 30, 1894:, No. 112,491,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of steam-engines and like prime motors, its object being to insure the perfect balancing of such motors by the neutralization of the forces of inertia or passive resistance of the moving parts one by the other.

The present improvements are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter described as applied to steam-engines of the inverted vertical type. They may, however, be similarly applied to other similar prime motors.

Figure 1 represents an elevation, half in section, of the engine, and Fig. 2 a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the relative positions of the moving parts. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the crank-shaft shown in Fig. 1.

In the engine represented by Figs, 1 and 2, if it be supposed that it is divided by a perpendicular plane ac 3 each of the two halfengines has its three cranks one hundred and twenty degrees apart and the two half-engines are symmetrical with reference to the plane x y-that is to say, two symmetrical pistons, relatively to the plane, have their cranks positioned at the same angle and move in the same direction. The respective moving parts connected with each cylinder are constructed to have exactly the same weights.

If the case of an engine with a single cylinder be considered, it is seen that the parts, pistons, piston-rods, connecting-rods, &c., which have alternate movements, produce variable efforts of inertia with variable positions of the crank. These efforts are manitested by their external reactions. To suppress these reactions it is necessary to arrange upon the same sufficiently rigid framing two or more cylinders in such a manner that their efforts of inertia balance themselves at each instant. Thisequilibrium can be obtained with three parallel cylinders, the pistons of which act upon three cranks at one hundred and twenty degrees apart, the corresponding moving parts appertaining to the respective cylinders having the same weight. Nevertheless, there exists in this case a couple arising from the fact that the axes of the three cylinders are at a certain distance apart. The arrangement of the six-cylinder engine shown exactly permits the suppression of this couple. Obviously more than one series of six cylinders maybe employed.

The positioning of the cranks illustrated by Figs. 3 and &, commencing from the vertical, is consequently the following: cylinder No. 1, zero; cylinder No. 2, one hundred and twenty degrees; cylinder No. 8, two hundred and forty degrees; cylinder No. 4, two hundred and forty degrees; cylinder No. 5, one hundred and twenty degrees; cylinder No 6, zero. Fig. 3 shows the relative positions of the connecting-rods, each of which is denoted by the same numeral as in Fig. 1. Each of the six cylinders being alike, all the moving parts are interchangeable. The framing Bis of sufficient rigidity in the direction of its length to resist the ettorts of inertia which balance themselves by its intermediary. It will be observed that the organs of distribution are positioned relatively to each other at the same angles as the cranks, and that consequently they are balanced also.

The engine represented by Figs. 1 and 2 is a sin gle-acting compound engine with twelve cylinders arranged in pairs in tandem, but these improvements may be applied to doubleacting engines of whatever type.

There may be adapted to these engines all the arrangements commonly employed in other engines, and particularly such systems of distribution as may appear convenient. There may also be applied a system of lubrication by means of an oil-bath, the framing B of the engine, Fig. 1, forming a closed chamber containing the bath of oil or mixed oil and water into which the cranks and connecting-rods plunge.

It is evident that this balanced engine, in place of being formed of two three-cylinder engines of the same dimensions, can be formed of six cylinders of different dimensions and of different lengths of stroke, with this condition only: that the length of the c0nnecting-rod to the radius of the crank should be the same for all the cylinders, and that the relation of the stroke to the Weight of the moving parts of each cylinder should be such that the forces of inertia shall be the same for all the cylinders. In an engine thus constructed, and in which the cranks are positioned as hereinbefore described, the efforts of inertia are balanced as in the engines before described.

It is demonstrable that the balancing of an engine in a direction perpendicular to the crankshaft which is obtained with three cranks one hundred and twenty degrees apart can be obtained also with four cranks at ninety degrees apart or with any convenient n umber of cranks being multiples of three or four. It follows that by coupling two fourcrank engines, symmetrically arranged, a balanced engine of eight or of twelve cylinders may also be constructed according to this i11- vention. These engines having no external reactions can convey no vibrations to their foundations, and may advantageously be employed 011 vehicles and vessels without risk of imparting vibrations to them.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,

and in what manner formed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A balanced engine having a number of cylinders standing side by side with their axes in the plane of the shaft, said cylinders being a multiple of three or four or the equivalent thereof, and divided into two equal portions, the cranks in said two portions being symmetrical relatively to a vertical plane marking the line between the portions, and each symmetrical pair of cranks standing at the same angle and moving in the same direction, substantially as described.

2. An inverted vertical engine having six cylinders or series of six cylinders standing side by side of which the cranks are symmetrical relatively to a vertical plane cutting across the center of the engine, the three cranks of each half of the engine being one hundred and twenty degrees apart and the pistons, piston-rods and other reciprocating parts having respectively exactly the same weight for each cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described. and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 6th dayof N ovember, A. D. 189%.

JEAN JACQUES I'IEILMANN.

\Vitnesses:

CLYDE SHROPSHIRE, HENRY DANKER.

the same is to be per- 35 

